Cal .30 M1 Ammunition Box... On His Majesty's Service??

[Rylan]

Hello Everyone,

 

I recently picked up this ammo tin, but I am a Newbie with US militaria. I was wondering if someone could tell me a bit more about it? How old is it, WW2, or maybe post war?? Is it for Garand en-bloc clips, and also I was wondering about the label attached to it, is this some sort of British lend-lease item.

 

I don't know much about this sort of stuff, so any info about it is appreciated

 

Rylan

[Rylan]

2

[Rylan]

3

[robinb]

That's the standard US .30 cal. ammo can used with the Browning machineguns. WW2 for sure.

[Johan Willaert]

Not sure about the label but it looks like some chaplain used the can as some sort of a hold-all...

[Brian Keith]

It looks to me like tbe can was used as a box to mail something. It appears to be a mailing label.

I would leave the label on it, lots of regular ammo cans out there, the label make this one a little more interesting.

BKW

[edstorey]

What you have is an Ammunition Box, .30 Cal M1 (Steel). The one you have appears to have been used by the Canadian military which is not that uncommon as the Canadian Army used the M1919A6 .30 Cal Machine Gun during the Second World War and into the early 1970s when they were rechambered to 7.62mm and called the C6 Machine Gun. This style of Ammunition Box is associated with the Second World War and Korean War period and was used by Canada until the late 1950s.

 

The interesting lable on this ammunition box indicates that it could have been fixed to the box during the reign of King George VI so until about 1952. Obviously a Padre affixed the lable and you can see that the unit from the Canadian Artillery as there are the remains of a unit address: 6 blackened area RCA, which could be 6 Field Regiment or Field Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery.

 

More than likely everything is from the Second World War although you have to be cautioned that these boxes were used well into the late 1950s and could well have been hanging around a Reserve Artillery armouries and given to the Padre to mail something in. As well, old military paperwork is used well after it is out of date, so even though this relates to 'On His Majesty's Service' it could certainly have been affixed after Queen Elizabeth II became the Monarch.

 

A nice Ammunition Box with a very intersting lable. For more information on US eqyuipment, and the Canadian Army used lots of it, Historire and Collections in Paris, France publish a couple of very nice illustrated collectors references showing many pieces of US kit and equipment.

 

Here are some images of the Ammunition Box, .30 Cal M1 (Steel)

 

 

 

 

Hope this helps.

[Rylan]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I too thought the label was kind of interesting.

 

I heard the little tab on the side is somewhat uncommon to find, is this true? Someone actually came up to me wanting to buy the can because of it? What is the little tab/handle used for.

[kphfun]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I too thought the label was kind of interesting.

 

I heard the little tab on the side is somewhat uncommon to find, is this true? Someone actually came up to me wanting to buy the can because of it? What is the little tab/handle used for.

I believe it was used for holding on to a mounted swivel version of the gun.